Abed and Annie and Vampires
by Bookman230
Summary: "I've been thinking of my airplane music. Something bittersweet, to mark the passage. I'm thinking either The Way It Is or Daybreak. Daybreak isn't that bittersweet, but it holds a sentimental weight. But so does The Way It Is. Maybe I'll do something indie and new. Maybe Damn These Vampires. We never did a vampire ep, so I'll imagine one in my head for the montage."


Jeff drove them to the airport. It made sense. Frankie, Chang, and the Dean were school characters; the last goodbyes should take place there, at a work friend gathering. They already said goodbye to Britta. They entrusted the apartment to her. Maybe not the smartest decision, but... no. That was mean. They were all coming into their own. This was Britta's chance. Abed could still see the teary smile, still feel the tight hug, still hear the last bit of banter between all of them and the promise to keep in touch.

(Nobody ever keeps in touch in spin-offs.)

"Britta it up," Annie had told her supportively. Britta smiled, like sunlight breaking out of fog, and Abed wondered how he ever thought she was a robot.

"You're not a robot," he said. "Or if you are, you're one of the sweet, goofy, lovable kinds. Like Johnny-5, or WALL-E."

"Neither are you," she replied, before pausing for comedic timing, "Abot," she teased, shifting into the robot.

It was awkward and earnest and so Britta he couldn't talk for a second. He and Annie just roboted with her.

Jeff had hugged them too. Like he didn't want to let them go. "LA won't know what hit them," he said into Abed'd ear.

"Abed Nadir. It's my name, I'll be telling them that."

Jeff let go of the hug and grinned. "You're messing with me."

"Sure am."

"I'll miss you, Abed. I'm uh... I'm really glad I met you."

"We met first. You made me feel useful."

A flash of regret in Jeff's eyes. "You're so much more than useful, Abed."

"I know. You made me feel that, too." He smiled, and Jeff smiled back. Then Abed walked away, so Jeff and Annie could have some space. Their goodbye was short, simple. They already had their finale moment, he had thought, watching them hug and shake hands. Then Jeff drove off, and Annie walked with him into the airport, and here they were, sitting down and waiting for their separate flights. He'd use a wide shot here first. Empathize that with all the space available, she chose to sit so close to him. Like she chose to be friends with him, and move in with him, and roleplay with him, even though there was Troy and Britta and Jeff. It was symbolic. Had weight.

Then a close shoulder shot to hammer in the intimacy. Annie smiled fondly. "Filming in your head?"

He nodded. "Yup. Airports are a classic location. _Casablanca_ , _The Graduate_..."

" _Airplane_.."

He hummed. "Most of the movie's on the airplane. That's why it's called _Airplane_ , not _Airport_."

"Well... it _was_ parodying _Airport._

"Point."

"And it had some great scenes there! Remember the smoking ticket?"

"Two points, Edison. You win this round." Annie beamed proudly, sitting up, and he wondered why she always felt so proud to relate to him, to talk with him. Most people didn't bother, and most of those saw it like a necessary chore, the way Jim Belushi saw acting, but she loved it.

"Abed?"

"Hm?"

"You're staring," she told him affectionately.

"Sorry."

"No, no, it's... nice." That was her bashful smile. Her Vaughn smile, her Troy smile, her Jeff smile, her... Abed smile? No. He pursed his lips in confusion as she went on. "Remember when you said we were Chandler and Phoebe? Said they never had any stories together?"

He shook himself out of it. "Yeah."

"Then we made a handshake, I helped you out in the Imagintorium, I moved in..."

"We were never Chandler and Phoebe."

"Maybe we're River and Kaylee? Oooh, or Janeway and Seven of Nine. Or Joan and Sherlock- I'm Sherlock, _obviously_ -"

He shook his head. "No. None of those quite fit."

"Then what do you think we are, oh master of television?"

He looked into her eyes. "Annie and Abed." Her face melted, like it did that day with Duncan's experiment. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you, Abed." He heard the hitch in her voice, and wrapped an arm around her.

"Spin-offs can have other cast members come with." She looked up at him, but he kept looking ahead. " _Angel_ had Angel _and_ Cordelia. _Better Call Saul_ has Saul _and_ Mike. It establishes continuity, familiarity, keeps the main character from feeling... alone. I'll call and Skype and maybe Google Hangout but nobody hangs out with Google Hangout. You'll be a recurring character. Promise."

She laid her head back down on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his. "You'll be a recurring character in my life too." She breathed, and he listened to that. Side low shot. Emphasize his look down at her. Hold the pause.

Then, he broke the silence with, "I've been thinking of my airplane music. Something bittersweet, to mark the passage. I'm thinking either _The Way It Is_ or _Daybreak_. _Daybreak_ isn't that bittersweet, but it holds a sentimental weight. But so does _The_ _Way It Is_. Maybe I'll do something indie and new. Maybe _Damn These Vampires_. We never did a vampire ep, so I'll imagine one in my head for the montage."

"Hm." She snuggled in comfortably. "I think I'll do something with Explosions in the Sky. All their songs feel like epic spanning nature stuff. Plus-"

" _Friday Night Lights_ ," he finished for her. She smiled. "Cool. Cool cool cool."

"One cool, then three cools. You like it!" she preened proudly, like a peacock.

"No. You're like. Four cools. Cool. Cool cool cool cool."

Annie gasped. " _Four_ cools?"

He nodded. "Don't tell anyone."

She returned the nod with mock seriousness. "I won't-" The airport intercom cut her off, and her face fell. "That's me."

"That's you."

"Is it bad if a part of me doesn't want to go, but a part of me does?'

"It makes you like me."

"So... perfect, then." She sat up and gave him a hug. "I'll miss you, Abed."

"You too." She let go with a smile, and all he could do was smile back as she stood up and walked away. After a second, he stood up too, turning to go to his terminal, when suddenly a hand grabbed his. He turned around to see Annie, looking daring, but the kind she looked whenever she was trying to stamp down fear. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong.

And then she kissed him.

He should've been Han Solo. Or Indiana Jones. James Bond or Ryan Reynolds or Jeff. But he wasn't. For some reason, he let himself be Abed. He thought she let herself be Annie too. This was for Annie and Abed, just like LA and the CIA were. This was real.

She broke the kiss, giving a satisfied smile with only a tinge of sadness. "One more trope for the road." Then she was gone, a real Ingrid Bergman, and he was left in her wake.

And all he could say was "Cool. Cool cool cool cool cool." He walked to his terminal, showed his non-smoking ticket. He sat down in a window seat, looking out as memories flashed and the song played.

It ended up being the theme from Friends.

There was still vampires though.


End file.
